Most pneumatic vehicle tires suffer from dramatic changes in their characteristics when suddenly deflated. Loss of control of the flattened tire is accompanied by greatly reduced wheel diameter and reduced braking ability. The problem has been recognized since pneumatic tires were conceived but for a variety of reasons the proposed solutions to the problem have failed to be incorporated into production vehicle tires. Both metal and rubber buffers bearing on the base of the rim have been tried as well as air tires inside of tires. These methods have proved expensive and difficult to install. Prior U.S. Patents which illustrate the prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 638,590; 730,474; 2,989,108; 2,713,373; 3,610,308; 3,250,310; and, 3,949,796.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cushion tire which has inherent blowout safety features and will not deflate to the wheel rim.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a pneumatic tire which substantially maintains its shape and size after deflation to sustain proper braking and control.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic tire construction which has the foregoing stated advantages, but is economical to manufacture and is without the inherent disadvantages of buffers and tires within tires.
Still other and further objects, features and advantages of the tire construction of the present invention will be apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred form of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.